'Stop Being an SOV' aims to deter solo driving

Officials trying to boost carpooling, biking, transit in metro area

CONGESTED CORRIDOR: Traffic moves along U.S. 36,left, and Industrial Lane with construction in the middle as crews work on widening the highway in Broomfield on Thursday.
(
David R. Jennings
)

Commuters in the Denver metro area are getting their first glimpse of a cheeky new ad campaign -- its tagline implores motorists to "Stop Being an SOV" -- that regional transportation planners hope will lead to fewer single-occupancy vehicles on the road and more trips by transit, vanpool, carpool and bike.

The campaign, which includes billboards, bus and light rail ads, radio spots and a Website, is an attempt by the Denver Regional Council of Governments to reformulate its alternative transportation advocacy program, RideArrangers, into a new initiative called Way to Go.

But the campaign's bold approach, using SOV to conjure up the more offensive acronym SOB, could run the risk of alienating segments of the public and diluting the larger message, said Boulder Transportation Connections Executive Director Bob Whitson. The Boulder nonprofit works in partnership with DRCOG on promoting alternate modes of transportation.

Whitson is a strong supporter of reducing the number of solo drivers on the road, and his organization has heavily promoted the use of the Regional Transportation District's EcoPass in Boulder, but he wonders if DRCOG is relying on an excessively "edgy" messaging strategy to achieve that goal.

"I'm 100 percent in agreement about a unified message in the Denver metro area on this subject," he said. "At the same time, I don't believe you have to be negative and anti-car -- I'm in a car right now. My feeling is you can get a whole lot more done with incentives and encouragement. Negative programs, in my opinion, don't work."

The "Stop Being an SOV" Website -- at stopbeingansov.com -- includes a witty section modeled after comedian Jeff Foxworthy's you-might-be-a-redneck franchise, with observations like, "If the last bus you rode dropped you off at school, you're probably an SOV" or, "If you're the designated driver for your invisible friends, you're an SOV."

There are also plans to create benches made from the backseats of cars, imprinted with the message, "Just because an SOV didn't use these, doesn't mean you can't enjoy them."

Whitson said while the use of humor might resonate with some, the campaign runs the risk of setting up an "us versus them" dynamic between drivers and their transit-using brethren.

Campaign is 'playful'

Steve Erickson, DRCOG's communications and marketing director, said the ad campaign is meant to be "playful" and is not an attempt to "point our fingers at vehicles or people who drive them as evil."

The campaign, which will cost DRCOG $250,000 to $300,000, is the brainchild of Denver-based advertising firm Amelie Co., which states on its Website, "We get paid to interrupt people's lives."

"There was some thought that it might be a little too direct," Erickson said. "But we thought there was something to be gained by bringing something attention-grabbing."

Ride-sharing firm vRide, based in Troy, Mich., coined the phrase "Don't be an SOV" and features actress and former NFL cheerleader Anjelah Johnson in a series of nationwide ads promoting an effort to take 1 million cars off the road.

DRCOG's campaign, which will last about a month, will be followed by later marketing phases that will place a larger focus on the alternative transportation options for commuters, Erickson said. Already, the "Stop Being an SOV" Website suggests people look at biking, walking, telecommuting, carpooling and riding the bus to get around.

And that, Erickson said, is the most important message to convey, as DRCOG aims to reduce single-occupancy vehicles from 74 percent of all trips in the Denver metro area today to 65 percent by 2035.

"If you look at the demographic projections, we should all stand up and pay attention," he said. "This area is projected to grow to 4 million. Where are all these people going to be, and how will they be getting to work?"

According to a mobility study conducted earlier this year by 36 Commuting Solutions, solo drivers made up 69.3 percent of commuters in the U.S. 36 corridor in 2011. That was down from 70.5 percent the previous year. Carpooling only accounted for 8.4 percent of all commutes last year in the corridor, while biking claimed a 6.2 percent share.

"The intention of this campaign is to create awareness of what a single-occupancy vehicle is and what a problem that causes for our region," said Audrey DeBarros, 36 Commuting Solutions' executive director. "During the construction on U.S. 36 now, we know already that there is significantly increased congestion."

'Time to switch it up'

Debra Baskett, Broomfield transportation manager, is happy DRCOG is freshening up its outreach effort. RideArrangers had outlived its usefulness, and a new eye-catching brand was needed to keep the message about alternate forms of transportation salient.

"It was time to switch it up in terms of the message," she said.

As to whether DRCOG came out of the box too hard this week with the launch of its Way to Go rebranding effort and accompanying "Stop Being an SOV" entreaty, Baskett said she's comfortable with the ad campaign.

"I think it's very clever," she said. "There's so much risque stuff on TV -- it's not as offensive as it might have been years ago."

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